Using Joomla Versus Wordpress For Your Veterinary Website

When it comes to creating your veterinary website, the different options available can feel a little bit daunting. You have your domain host, but purchasing your website address doesn’t suddenly poof a full site into existence. The next step is to choose the Content Management System (CMS) that you’ll use to design and build the individual parts and pages of your site. Two of the major options out there right now are Joomla and WordPress. Keep in mind that when we say the latter, we’re talking about the CMS, WordPress.org (as opposed to WordPress.com, which is both a domain host and website builder). So, how do you know which CMS to use to create the perfect veterinary website that will drive pet owners to your practice?

Search Engine Optimization

When comparing the two CMS options in terms of search engine optimization (SEO) performance, we’d argue that Joomla is the winner. Why is that? You can think of it a bit like the Mac versus PC debate. An Apple computer is very user-friendly, but not easily customized. While it gets the job done admirably for you, the user, it’s not going to offer the top-line options you’d find with a PC. WordPress is like a Mac in that way, offering simple building blocks that help new users out, but not offering the best in cutting edge SEO options. Plugins like Yoast for WordPress push generalized SEO ideals onto the articles you write, but they’re not tailored to the individual veterinary field using the most up to date information. Joomla requires more experience, but when used correctly by experienced developers it can pack a serious punch.

Website Security

When you think of website security, it’s easy to assume your business won’t be a target. However, security counts for more than just peace of mind. Having an SSL certification on your veterinary website will likely improve your rankings on search engines. Since Joomla requires so much more skill, far fewer cyber attacks target Joomla CMS websites, too.

Plugin Updates

We’re going to be upfront about this one. In our experience, WordPress updates will break a website far, far more often than with any Joomla website. What does this look like? Maybe your template becomes unavailable, or your plugin that allows for SEO suddenly becomes incompatible with another important plugin. Since so many cyber attacks target WordPress sites, the updates are nearly constant. Joomla might require a bit more work in the beginning, but it means far less effort later on in maintaining a perfectly functioning veterinary website.

Remember, if you’re looking to redesign your own we’re here to help. Our Joomla-expert web development team can create exactly what you want without limiting you to specific templates or features.